I could see the place in my mind. Knew precisely where it was and that she must have been found in the clearing with the birch next to the abandoned building. Long ago we had carved messages for the future into that birch so nothing would be forgotten. All the same I hadn’t even thought about the old birch until this moment.

We sat facing each other at the table in john’s kitchen and the rawness between my legs forced me to perch on the edge of the 38chair. There was a humming noise in my ears and his opaque eyes wouldn’t leave me so I just pushed my hair behind my ears several times and asked who had taken her life.

No one knows. Probably she took her own life. It was said that I did it. It was said that your brother did it. That other people did it. It was even said that finn did it though nobody actually believed that. It could have been anyone. She had a way to make men feel chosen john said and let his finger run along the inside edge of the snuffbox to collect enough for a last pinch. She pulled them into her web like a black widow spider and killed them every time she had caught a tastier prey. Figuratively of course.

You too.

Yes me too but at least I got petra. But others like your brother. He didn’t finish the sentence.

It’s the reason why emelie disappeared if you didn’t know already he went on. Bror hasn’t worked since and if nothing changes he’ll drink himself to death. He’s even been kept out of the hunting team.

I didn’t like the tone of his voice when he talked about bror and those eyes of his that wouldn’t budge once they had started to see. He reached across the table to grab my hand but I snatched it away. I had better get ready to go home I said and stood. My brain took unkindly to messy notions alleged murderers and all lack of clarity. So I told his back as it put more logs into the range that I think it’d be better if we didn’t meet up anymore.